Rundāle Palace Ensemble

Site visited in August, 2021. Rundāle Palace Ensemble is probably the best example of baroque style residence in whole Latvia (together with the palace in Jelgava). Maybe it cannot be compared to palaces of Versailles, Schonbrunn or residences around St Petersburg but other entities that are already on the list, like Worlitz, Wurzburg, Kromeriz or Drottningholm are for me of the same quality.

Palace in Rundale (or Pilsrundale as current name of the village – Pils in Latvian means castle) is a residence of Kurland Duke - Ernst Johann von Biron, built on a place of Livonian Castle. He started to construct his palace in 1735 (simultaneously with the main seat in Jelgava / Mitawa) according to the project of Italian architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In the meantime Ernst Johann became one of the most powerful person in Russian Empire (as a favorite of Empress Anna Iwanowna). It lasted only to to November, 1740, when palace revolution in St. Petersburg brought an end to Biron’s reign and duke was arrested, exiled and the building was stopped without finishing interiors. After several years Duke Ernst Johann von Biron received mercy and finally he finished palace construction (1764-1770). Interiors are designed by Johann Gottfried Seidel, Johann Michael Graff (sculptures) as well as Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi (painters).

Over the years the palace changed its owners but as it was never fully destroyed (although sometimes, during several wars, partly damaged) it remained its initial design and interiors. Several rooms were carefully …